Gripper.



0. A. J UENGST. GRIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1907.

1,629,130, Patented.Ju11e 1.1, 1912.

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Charles A. Juengst fihnw r/l m/ I BY 7 A TTORNE Y pn ran srarns rnrunr enrich.

CHARLES A. JUENGST, OF CROTON FALLS, NEW YORK.

GRIPPER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11 1912.

Application filed July 23, 1907. Serial N 0. 885,218.

port sheets or signatures in signature gathering machines, and in certain sheet delivering or handling mechanism for printing or other machines.

Thin sheets or signatures have a tendency to collapse when supported by a pair of gripper jaws without the aid of a. supporting surface such as a cylinder or apron.

The object of this invention is to prevent sheets from collapsing when seized by a gripper mechanism.

To this end the invention comprises a gripper mechanism having means for preventing the sheet scizedfrom collapsing.

In its more particular form the invention comprises means for temporarily stiffening the sheet seized. This is effected in the present instance by crimping the sheet in the act of seizing it. The precise means for effecting this may vary, but preferably consist in providing the opposed gripper jaws with complementary transversely concave and convex gripping surfaces.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shownin several concrete forms, one of which is preferred. It is evident, however, that change nay bemade from the construction shown without departing from the legitimate and intended scope of the invention. t

In the said drawings :Figure 1 isa general view showing the invention applied to a signature gathering machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved gripper mechanism in the act of seizing a sheet. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the ling8-8- of Fig. 4:. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the improved ripper mechanism. Fig. 5 is a front View of a gripper mechanism showing an alternate form. Fig. Gis a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in j 1 indicates the gripper mechanism comsheet.

the different views.

posed of the two gripper" jaws 2 and 3 oted together at 4. Suitable means are vided for opening and closing the jaws for oscillating the hiechanisin between the signature pile 5 and the carrier or gatherer 6. As these operating means form no part of the present invention and are well known, they. will not be described.

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The gripper jaws are provided with comproand i plementary concave and convex gripping surfaces 7 and 8. The concavity and couvexity run transversely of the longitudinal axis. of the jaws, and preferably the lower gripping surface is the convex one, while the upper is concave. These concavo-convex gripping surfaces are preferably so con structed as to give the sheet a crimp tapering in extent inwardly from the edge of the sheet, substantially in the manner Fig-*2. This may be accomplished by causing the gripping surfaces of the jaws to taper in width from the inner part of the jaws outward toward the ends of such jaws.

When a sheet 9 is seized by the gripper mechanism it is crimped by the gripping surfaces as shown. This has the eifect of shortening one side of the sheet with the result that it is temporarily stiifened thereby preventing the sheet from collapsing. It will be noted that the crimp in the sheet extends inward from the edge of the sheet only a short distance, it gradually tapering off and terminating short of the far edge of the It is essential that the crimp terminate' short of the far order that the far edge retain its true length and be held in stiffened condition. The

shown in shape of the crimp and the relative shorten-- ing of the gripped edge of the sheet arewll illustrated in Fig. 2. By this means-"the sheet will be held substantially as shown in Fig. 2 and can be transported without.col-v lapsing, and will be deposited evenly onthe edge of the sheet, in

gatherer without liability v of i the corners curling under.

Figs. 5 and 6, the upper jaw. is provided with a curvilinearly tapering guard 10. This construction I claim Gripper mechanism comprising a pair of cooperating jaws, one of'said jaws having a concave gripping surface and the other has the same effect as the construction disclosed in the other .jaw haviiig a eotiperatirig convex gripping gripper jaws to transport the signature or surface, the said concave-convex" gripping sheet held therein from one point to-another. 10 surfeces of the jaws tapering in width from Signed at New York city this22 day of the inner part of the jaws outward toward July 1907.

5 the end of the jsiWs whereby to crimp a CHARLES A. JUENGST. signature or sheet gripped therebetween so \Vit-nesses:

-as to temporarily stiffen the body of the GEO. -A-. MARSHALL,

sheet or signature,-'and means for moving the AXEL V. BEEKEN. 

